Blintzes can be filled with a sweet or savory filling. Here, farmer and ricotta cheeses are mixed with a little sugar and lemon zest to create a smooth, creamy filling with just a hint of sweetness. If you decide to create your own filling, make sure that it does not contain too much liquid, which will make the blintzes soggy.

For the berry jam:

For the filling:

1 cup farmer cheese

1 cup whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese

2 Tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tsp. unsalted butter

Blueberries and raspberries for garnish

Directions:

To make the blintz batter by hand, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, milk and water, and whisk until smooth and blended. Add the 3 Tbs. melted butter and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the blintz batter with a food processor, combine the flour and salt in the processor. Add the eggs, milk and water and process until smooth and blended, about 10 seconds. Add the 3 Tbs. melted butter and process until smooth, about 4 seconds. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the berry jam: In a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the dissolved cornstarch, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring gently, until the jam thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer for 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Serve the jam warm, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat before serving.

To cook the blintzes, place a 9-inch fry pan with low, sloping sides over medium heat and heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle and then immediately evaporate. Brush with about 1/2 tsp. of the softened butter. For each blintz, ladle about 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan, tilting the pan so the batter forms a thin layer on the bottom. Cook until the edges begin to brown and the top of the blintz is set, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn the blintz over and cook for about 1 minute more.

Turn the blintz out onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. Stack the blintzes on a plate, putting a piece of wax paper between each. You will have at least 12 blintzes. The blintzes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the farmer and ricotta cheeses, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla and stir until blended.

Spread about 2 Tbs. of the cheese filling in the center of each blintz. Fold the sides over the filling, then fold in the ends to enclose the filling completely and form a rectangle.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt 2 tsp. of the butter. When the butter just begins to sizzle, add half of the blintzes, seam side down, and fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining butter and blintzes. Serve hot with the jam and berries on top. Serves 4.